This invention pertains to automatic dispensing of liquid drug from containers, and is more particularly related to mounting of liquid containers so that a certain container can be selected and placed in a discharge position for discharge of its contained drug through an outlet to a patient. This invention pertains to dispensation of drugs in intensive care rooms, emergency rooms, and other emergency areas by paramedic teams and the like.
In the prior art there has been great need of a fast and simple way of dispensing a selected drug to a patient in need of the drug, especially in emergency situations. Such a need arises in intensive care units and in emergency rooms of hospitals, as well as at emergency sites arising on the job, such as a construction work site, or in an office building, when a patient has suffered a catastrophe such as a heart attack. When such an emergency situation arises, it is very important to dispense the necessary drug to the patient as fast as possible, and each second of delay after the emergency can be crucial. For example, in the case of a heart attack, the brain begins to suffer damage shortly after the heart stops beating and within two minutes serious damage can occur. Complete destruction of the brain can occur within six minutes. Therefore, dispensation of a life-saving drug, such as epinephrine, as quickly as possible, can be of great benefit to the patient.
In the prior art there has been a lack of a device that can deliver a selected drug from a plurality of drugs, and dispense that drug to a patient with speed, effectiveness, and a minimum of manual effort. Generally, a principal method of copying with an emergency situation in which a patient is in need of a drug is to perform a number of manual steps concerned with removal of sterile covers from tubes and bags and the like, connecting tubing, waiting for the development of fluid flow to certain points, and insertion of a syringe needle into a catheter tube leading to the patient. Repetition of these steps is necessary for each drug that is to be dispensed. This manual method generally requires two or more people and can be time-consuming and cumbersome with a requirement for great dexterity on the part of the participants. The emergency team must also carry the emergency components to an emergency site and the lack of a pre-existing arrangement of components causes delay and difficulty in transporting the emergency equipment.
In the prior art there are devices which have compression members that engage the plungers of syringes held in fixed position for dispensing drug from the syringe. There are also prior art devices which control the distance of travel of a member used to drive the syringe such as by the use of a number of spacers to adjust the distance travelled.